Witham started Saturdays match as they had ended their last home game, with their Witham forwards exerting immense pressure.

Once the rain had stopped early in the first half Witham s attacking back line were able to demonstrate their skills, constantly breaking the gain line and forcing Swaffham onto the back foot.

This combined pressure eventually won Witham a scrum just inside the Swaffham 22 yard line and number 8, Andy Taylor, took advantage of a swift strike to pick the ball up from the base of the scrum, evade a couple of would-be challenges and cross the try line.

Straight from the restart Withams forwards and backs combined in some excellent periods of play. From one of these long periods of Witham play, still within their own half though, the ball reached outside the centre Grant Burgin.

After neatly side stepping the first tackler he shunned the support from all sides and proceeded to dissect the Swaffham defence in a wonderful meandering run to cross the line close to the posts to cap a period of great team play and with a superb individual effort.

The conversion attempt just missed the right hand upright.

Swaffham then began to control the game for a while and using the following wind and the slope they kept Witham penned within their own half.

This pressure soon began to tell as a scrambled clearance kick by Witham gave Swaffham a lineout 10 yards from the Witham try line.

A magnificent catch by the Swaffham number two jumper, set a platform from which Swaffhams pack were able to drive over the line to score their opening points which were unconverted.

From a Witham viewpoint this was a soft try to concede and the knowledge of this galvanised the team into upping their efforts to a few more notches.

Once more Witham took control in the last 10 minutes of the first half, and interplay between forwards and backs enabled Witham to deny Swaffham any possession.

Following a midfield break by the centre combination of Jon Ferris and Grant Burgin, they were able to link with Ben Hanness whose injection of pace took him well into the Swaffham half.

Unable to finish the move himself he managed to switch the ball to full back, Aaron Coombs who touched down in the corner after side stepping his opposite number.

Witham went into half-time feeling pleased with their performance but knowing that plenty more was still needed.

The second half saw Witham start as they had ended the first half, but this possession and phases of play didn t reap rewards.

While more points were the objective a stout Swaffham defence denied what could have been certainly four or five more tries.

A breakthrough didnt come until late in the second half when Witham had won a scrum inside the Swaffham 22.

Andy Taylor picked the ball and head for the try line, a clever pop pass straight from the training ground, to scrum half John Joe O Connor who split the last line of defence and enabled him to cross the line for the last try of the game with one of Swaffham players hanging from his shoulders despairingly.

The way Witham were playing gave them great confidence for Saturday's match at Brightlingsea which again is a league fixture.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.